MACKEREL MIDOE. 19S 



SUBBRACHIAL 



MALACOPTERYGII. GADID^. 





THE MACKEREL MIDGE. 



Motella glauca, Mackerel Midge, Jenyns, Man. Brit. Vert. p. 451, sp. 137. 

 Ciliata ,, ,, ,, Couch, Zool. Journ. vol. i. p. 132. 



„ „ „ „ „ Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. v. p. 15 and 



16, fig. 2, and p. 741. 



Mb. Couch's MS. account of this beautiful little fish is 

 as follows : — " It is about one inch and a quarter in length, 

 moderately elongated ; head obtuse, compressed : upper jaw 

 the longest, with four straight barbules ; the under jaw with 

 one barbule ; teeth in both jaws : gill membrane with seven 

 rays ; eye large and bright ; a fringed membrane in a depres- 

 sion behind the head ; pectoral and ventral fins rather large 

 for the size of the fish ; dorsal and anal fins single, and reach- 

 ing near to the tail ; scales deciduous ; colour on the back 

 bluish green ; belly and fins silvery. This seems to be one 

 of the species spoken of by the older naturalists under the 

 name of apua; and which, from their minute size, and the 

 multitudes in which they sometimes appeared, they judged 

 to be produced by spontaneous generation from the froth of 

 the sea, or the putrefaction of marine substances. The name 

 I have assigned to it is that in use among our fishermen, 

 and is descriptive of its colour and very minute size, for it is 

 the smallest fish with which I am acquainted."" 



